The adventure of a road trip gives a wonderful opportunityto escape the frenetic rat race of the city life and reconnect with nature.Riding through verdant landscape, lush greenery, waterfalls and taking in freshair really can be a wonderful experience for all. Goans are gifted with thisheavenly place which lies in Maharashtra but is as far as just 36 kms fromPanjim. To reach Mangeli is notdifficult at all; the direction boards alongside roads will guide you to avillage named Virdi. From Virdi, one has to climb the steep hill and the sharptwisted roads require a certain amount of riding skills. There are severalscenic spots on the way, where one can make a short halts. The splendid viewamidst thick fog can make a fantastic backdrop for pictures.
The snake-like tar roads accompany you for almost 30 minsfrom Virdi and thereafter it is pure off-road riding bliss. The water puddlesand the slushy roads can give the rider a tough time while descending. Thepillion can provide with some assistance to push the bike out of the muck! Mangeli has three waterfalls in total. Thebiggest of them is relatively more accessible than the other two. To get thererequires a small trek for about ten minutes. The trek is very easy and thesmall huts on the way selling vada-pav, mirchi bhaji and hot cup of tea makefor refreshing short halts.
The initial 20-25 feet of the waterfall are heavily jaggedrocks. The water crashing from a height splashes tiny drops of water on yourface giving you rainbows wherever you turn your gaze. One can further climbthese slippery boulders to reach higher but it is risky and is best avoided.The water is refreshingly chilly and the view from atop is splendid. Beware ofstrong currents. The picturesque village of Virdi offers a host of sceniclocales for trekkers. The village has around five waterfalls in total and is ahot spot for trekking enthusiasts from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa. If youwish to spend some quality time with your family and friends, a waterfalltrekking trip to Mangeli is highly recommended!
